


Samurai

by CharlieNozaki, ZoSanLaw



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action, Angst, Drama, M/M, One Shot, Samurai, Time Travel, samurai Jack Au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 21:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12615644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlieNozaki/pseuds/CharlieNozaki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoSanLaw/pseuds/ZoSanLaw
Summary: Fifty years have passed since the samurai knew peace and happiness. Twenty have passed in the life of an assassin, born without love, destined to kill. Now, two souls will converge and confront their inner demons, and the demon “God” that has controlled both their lives for far too long.[A collaboration between ZoSanLaw and CharlieNozaki].(Samurai Jack AU. ZoSan. Includes artwork).





	Samurai

**Author's Note:**

  * For [auspizien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/auspizien/gifts).



> Auspizien,
> 
> Here's a small birthday gift from CharlieNozaki and myself! Enjoy the read! 
> 
> Wishing you a very happy birthday and a long, healthy, and happy life!!
> 
> Much love!

Zoro’s teacher taught him that meditation helped a mind to reach out to its soul and let go of the materialistic attachments of the world. It helped in the search for answers to questions that one never knew they had. Zoro had accomplished that stage many years ago. He had gotten in touch with himself and attained a state of peace and calm.

 

Now though, it was a different story. Peace evaded him. Night terrors stole his sleep and the burden of the many lives on his soul stained his purpose of living.

 

The purpose of a samurai was to protect. It was to face situations with utmost calm. To destroy the enemy that threatened his soil.

 

When Zoro was first plunged into the wormhole that took him to the future, he had not expected to stay long. He planned on finding another such wormhole to go back in time and kill Kaido before despair fell and overtook the world as he knew it.

 

And so he had strived for this, faced obstacles and beaten most of them. But each time, Kaido’s minions reached it first and destroyed the wormhole in front of his eyes. Each time, it filled Zoro with a sense of failure and irresponsibility.

 

Fifty such years passed, and Zoro didn’t age a second, the time travel stopping the process altogether. He wasn’t meant to live in the current timeline, and so he existed in the form he’d arrived in.

 

In those fifty years, he inspired the people around him. Funny how the concept worked. People followed a voice, they moved together and when motivated enough, they charged together. For certain people, he became their voice. His actions gave them a trigger to fight and oppose the darkness.

 

But they were not strong enough. Kaido’s power outmatched any in the world and his allies followed his every word. Thus, many innocent lives died protesting and fighting, following Zoro’s lead. The loss of their lives and the pain of their souls rested on Zoro’s shoulders.

 

And so, Zoro stood on the edge of the cliff, taking in the view of the sunset, noting each color and taking his time appreciating nature. It was a beautiful sight.

 

He didn’t deserve it.

 

* * *

 

Sanji’s first memory of his childhood was a painful one. He had fallen while learning to walk and had been slapped for not being dedicated enough to the cause. The memories since had all been painful, same as the ones of the children he grew up with. And all of them were of the huge cave he had grown up in.

 

He wasn’t allowed to be tired, wasn’t allowed to cry. He wasn’t allowed to appreciate the smaller things in life. He was only allowed to feel and think what they told him to.

They told him to think of killing the swordsman. They told him to think of ways to do it painfully. They told him to be strong, stronger than the swordsman.

 

They told him that the swordsman had hurt his kin. That the swordsman was not to be trusted. He was told that the swordsman was in the wrong and needed to be killed.

 

They told him to train. They told him to build up his courage.

 

They told him to not think of the animals. When he still thought of them, they ordered him to kill many.

 

They told him to not ask questions. When he did, they whipped him and made him run till he fainted.

 

They ordered him to fight with his sister. When he didn’t, they fought him instead. He was alone and six years old. They were many and older.

 

They ordered him not to care about human life. When he did, they made sure to harm the ones he cared about.

 

One day, when Sanji was ten, his master, Judge, tired of his disobedience, had taken him to the mouth of the crater. He had shown him the lava below and had proceeded to push Sanji into it, latching onto him at the last second, delaying his fall. He had told Sanji to set his mind right. There would be no alternate life. It was this, or death. And they had many dying to take his place.

 

It worked, and Sanji did as he was told. Fighting, training, hurting, hiding his true self and slowly forgetting it, working as a robot.

 

Sanji soon turned twenty. As did four others in the cult. They were tasked to go out in the world and take the life of the swordsman, end the threat he posed to the world.

 

It was a week later that he and his four half-brothers crept noiselessly behind the swordsman as the sun set. The man was standing there, admiring the beauty.

 

The lead gave the signal and together they shot from their hiding places to kill the man.

 

* * *

 

Zoro breathed in the cool November air, looking at the sunset. He felt tired. His facial hair had grown long, after years of neglect. His life had been nothing but a set of disappointments and failures. He had nothing to feel good about.

 

He looked down, taking in the rocky bottom. He wouldn’t survive it. The fall would have to take his life and end his miserable existence. Maybe that would help in easing the pain.

 

He had tried other methods. He had thrown himself in the face of danger in the hopes of being killed in action. He’d tried to go as a warrior, but he ended up undefeated. This had to be how he should go.

 

He was clearing his mind of thought and pain when he heard it. Rustling of the trees and bushes around him. His senses warned him and before he realised it, he was turning around and catching the arm of a man dressed all in black. Zoro’s own leather jacket, heavy as it was, didn’t hinder him. He overtook him, and noting the knife in the man’s hand, he threw him over the cliff without a second thought.

 

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he reminded himself that he was about to kill himself so harming these men for having the same purpose was quite hypocritical. But he fought anyway, his body moving before the very realization surfaced.

 

Sanji watched as his team was dealt with, one by one. He was not actively fighting. Hell, he had faltered when he realised that the samurai was unarmed. But, of course, the man didn’t need a weapon. He was throwing his brothers overboard or driving their own knives in their bodies without even getting a scratch.

 

When the samurai caught hold of his hand however, instinct took hold, and he was kicking the man before he knew it, his tight black bodysuit like a second skin that moved fluidly with him. He was surprised when the blow landed and the man released his wrist. The fight that took place was equally matched. For every kick and punch, the samurai had a defense ready. Every offense made by the samurai was received with a block and deflect.

 

Zoro noted the practiced ease with which the man fought him. He wished to see the man’s face, which was hidden under the mask, as he fought well and deserved respect in Zoro’s eyes. He noticed after a few blows that, despite the range of knives the man carried in his belt, he refused to use one on Zoro.

 

Forearm moving up to block a kick, he caught hold of the leg, before his opponent could withdraw it, and pulled, taking the man by surprise. He fell, hitting his head on a rock. Zoro felt the body struggle and pull for a second before losing its fight and going limp.

 

Bending low, Zoro pulled the mask from the man’s face, taking in the features. Blond hair pulled back tight into a bun, thin face, high cheekbones, and thin lips. Beard stubble covering one half of the face.

  


Zoro looked at the man, thinking of nothing, other than the fact that he didn’t use a weapon. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to postpone his death. Holding the man’s legs, he dragged him down the hill and dropped him on his motorbike. Using some rope to tie his hands, he got on the bike and kick-started it, taking off into the night. He needed to find a place to crash for the night.

 

* * *

 

Consciousness returned to Sanji with a throbbing headache. Cool air hit his face, providing some relief but at the same time chilling his body to undesirable levels. The sound of a bike engine agitated his headache and he groaned, face scrunching in displeasure. He tried to move but found himself restrained. It was then that he snapped his eyes open, bearing with the pain that followed.

 

His hair had loosened, a few strands falling on his face and waving in front of him. The trees around him moved backwards, and the roads seemed to be going in the wrong direction. It took a couple of seconds for his confused mind to understand that he was sitting on a bike facing backwards. He moved to turn around but found his movement jarred by a tight rope tied around his torso, holding him up and back to back with a man.

 

Common sense told him it was the samurai.

 

“WHAT THE HELL!” he screamed.

 

Zoro pressed the brakes hard and got the bike to a sudden halt, almost throwing both of them off.

 

The body pressed to his back struggled and Zoro felt elbows hitting him while the man screamed his head off. Sighing, he took one of the blades from the belt the man had worn and cut himself free from the rope holding the blond up.

 

Zoro felt the man struggle for another moment before yelping and falling sideways onto the ground. He turned to see him wriggle like a worm and sit up straight, looking furious, though a little comical with twigs sticking out of his hair bun and dirt caked on his face.

 

“FUCKING SWORDSMAN,” he roared.

 

Zoro raised his brow, taking note of the language.

 

“YOU DESERVE TO DIE YOU FUCKING EVIL WORM!” the man continued to screech. “YOU’VE DONE NOTHING BUT LAY WASTE TO THE NOBLE LAND OF KAIDO. YOU’VE KILLED OUR MEN. YOU’RE A VERMIN… YOU’VE-”

 

Zoro watched the man... No, not man. He watched the boy rant, a little amused by his antics.

 

“HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THE WRONGS OF YOUR WAYS? AND YOU ACT ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY---HOW CAN YOU BE PROUD OF THIS!? KAIDO THE GREAT WILL DEFEAT YOU. YOU WILL LOSE, SHITTY SWORDSMAN! YOUR FOUL PRESENCE WILL BE ERASED BY KA-”

 

The remaining words didn't leave him as Zoro stuffed a ragged piece of cloth in his mouth. He crouched to be on eye level with Sanji, pressing a finger to his chest.

 

“God, you are one confused soul,” he said, pushing the blond a little. He then let his hand fall back and folded his arms on his knees as he said, “I am not the evil one here, ninja boy. I'm the one trying to stop the evil. Kaido is the one laying waste to Mother Earth. He's the one destroying lands and laying seeds of evil.”

 

The blond just glared at Zoro, his face scrunched in fury, not buying a single word Zoro spoke.

 

“Well, I feel guilty for killing your friends back there,” he got up, pulling out the rag from the blond’s mouth roughly. “You've obviously been misinformed.”

 

“They were not my friends,” the blond spat out. “And you are only trying to get in my mind, shitty samurai. I know how you manipulate people’s minds. You can't do that with me.” His voice came out, still furious but not at the same volume as before.

 

Zoro looked in the boy’s eyes, seeing the misguided hatred they held for him. He sighed, looking away into the dense trees. He wasn't going to kill the boy, who obviously didn't know the truth. With the weight of the innocent lives already lost on his account, Zoro was unwilling to take any more.

 

Massaging his jaw through his beard, Zoro gave it another second’s worth of thought before bending and picking up the boy with ease, setting him back on his bike. The blond glared at him, his tied hair a mess. It was then that he remembered that the boy could attack using his legs and got to work tying them to the bike, assuring they wouldn't cause any issues while riding, making the boy cuss him out. He had obviously hoped that Zoro forgot.

 

Standing up straight, he looked at the blond once. “What's your name?” he asked.

 

He was greeted with silence and a blatant stare.

 

Understanding that he wasn't going to receive a reply, Zoro took his seat and turned on the ignition. “Just don't fall off, blondie.”

* * *

 

* * *

 

Zoro reached a motel late in the night. Opting for a night’s stay, he paid the clerk at the counter and went to grab his luggage and the ninja. His luggage consisted of a backpack with a few changes of clothes and some bare essentials - toothpaste, brush, and instant noodles.

 

It proved to be a rather difficult affair to move the blond. The second he had realised they were in a populated area, he had called for help, cut off mid-scream again by the rag. Then, the moment Zoro untied one of his legs, he had lashed out and kicked him in the face.

 

Angry with his neglect, Zoro spit out the blood and ignored the pain while holding the other leg tightly before untying it. He tied both of them together as fast as he could manage with the blond practically jumping and pulling.

 

It came to a point where he fell off the bike again, this time nose first. Zoro used the opportunity to sit on his legs and tie them together. Huffing and panting, he got off the boy and pulled him in a sitting position by the scruff of the collar.

 

His nose was bleeding and breathing constricted thanks to the cloth in his mouth. Zoro pulled out the rag and pressed it to the blond’s nose, trying to quench the bleeding. Feeling around the cartilage, he felt the small dent but no breaks. Using the same rag as a glove, Zoro snapped the nose back in place, the boy’s eyes tearing up in the process, but no screams escaped him.

 

“You're strong,” Zoro said. He stuffed the rag into his pocket and stood up, throwing the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He was surprisingly quiet all the way to the room and even after Zoro laid him on one of the beds.

 

Going to the washroom, Zoro quickly stripped out of his clothes and took a one-minute timed shower, using his old shirt to scrub off all the dirt and sweat on his body. Still wet, he snapped out an old pair of skinny jeans and shifted into them.

 

Walking out, he got a second to note that the bed was empty before something blurred in his vision, and the next second, his throat was being constricted. It took him another second to lean back on his attacker, get hold of the rope strangling him and then bend forward in a flash, spinning the thin blond off his back and flat on his own.

 

“You won’t learn, will you?” he gritted out.

 

“Scum,” the boy spat again, blinking as a few water drops from Zoro’s head and beard fell near his eyes.

 

Leaving the boy be, Zoro simply stood up straight again, walking over to the induction stove on the small table in the room. It didn’t turn on, the switch probably not working. Scowling, he glanced out the window and spotted the vending machine.

 

He picked up his wallet, zipped on his jacket, and left the room, not locking it. He had no issues with the boy leaving, he was not going to harm an innocent life ever again.

 

Walking over to the machine, he wondered how the boy had gotten up in the first place. After feeding some notes to the machine, he had to push and kick it a few times before it dropped the item he paid for. Grabbing the Pepsi and cheese puffs, he walked back to the room, expecting the blond to be gone, but he was there, sitting on the bed, glaring at him.

 

Zoro looked at him and threw the pack of Cheetos in his direction. “Dinner,” he said.

 

The blond spared it a glance before using his tied hands to bat them in Zoro’s direction instead. “I’d die before eating anything offered by you.”

 

Anger boiled in Zoro, the cheese puffs laying on his feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax. Why wouldn’t this boy listen? A voice in the back of his head told him that it was probably because he had never faced the truth. Would making him see the actual state of the world change his mind?

 

He sensed a force approaching him fast and he moved to the side a moment before he heard the blond crash on the door.

 

He opened his eyes, sighing. Maybe not.

 

But he had to try.

 

Leaving the blond on the floor again, he moved to the washroom and brushed his teeth quickly, then collected the discarded clothes and stuffed them in his bag. Moving out, he quickly ate the puffs and downed the Pepsi. The boy was sitting up against the door, glaring at him all the while.

 

Zoro would show him... He would show what he fought for. And what Kaido was responsible for.

 

“Have you ever been to one of the work stations?” he asked, licking the cheesy spices off his fingers.

 

The blond looked a little surprised, but schooled his expression fast, not letting Zoro catch him.

But Zoro knew the answer. Nodding to himself, he pulled out a few more notes from his wallet and stuffed them in his leather jacket. Walking over to the door, he threw the blond over his shoulder again. He left the lights on but closed the door behind him.

 

After buying some water bottles from the vending machine, he returned to his bike and set the ninja on it again, this time carefully tying his legs on each side of the bike. Surprisingly though, the boy didn’t try attacking him.

 

Revving the engine, Zoro took off in the night, the roar of his engine echoing in the night.

 

* * *

 

Sanji watched as the sun rose above the horizon. He had never been this far before. The well-maintained buildings and perfect infrastructure was out of sight. His back hurt a little as he trembled with the bike, grunting and stumbling over the bad roads.

 

He was thirsty and hungry. He really wished he could find a natural source of water the next time they stopped somewhere. He couldn’t understand himself at the moment. Didn’t understand why he was readily going with the man. It would take him all of two seconds to get rid of the bonds holding him to this godforsaken ride. But he didn’t.

 

Judge always told him that curiosity killed the cat. That curiosity would be the reason behind Sanji’s death in the end. And who knew? Maybe it would. Sanji didn’t give his life too much importance. He was born for a reason and lived for one reason. If he didn’t achieve that, then there was no use staying alive. No one would accept him, and he was expendable.

 

He watched as his surroundings lit with natural light, watched as the trees thinned to nothing but barren lands. Smoke soon filled the area. Smoke, not mist or fog, and that confused him a little. It only got thicker the farther they went into it. After a while, he started to hear sounds. Sounds of heavy machinery and weights. The color of the smoke soon turned red. It made Sanji cough repeatedly and it stung his eyes.

 

He held up his hands to his sore nose, covering it with his sleeve to filter the air a little. The samurai stopped his bike, and a second later, he was leaning in close to Sanji’s face. “Keep quiet here. If we get caught, they won’t care if you’re one of them or not. They’ll put ten bullets through your head before you even utter a word. Got it?”

 

Sanji didn’t respond, just glared at the man. But it seemed like he got an idea, as he was untying his legs and hands. Sanji got off the bike, resisting the urge to massage his wrists where the ropes left them sore.

 

He followed Zoro through the smoke, hand raised to his nose again. Zoro was doing the same with his sleeve. The noise and voices grew louder with each step, and a minute later, Zoro crouched low, over what looked like a boulder, motioning Sanji to do the same. He did, sure to keep his distance from the samurai, but close enough to kill him in one strike if he got the chance.

 

But the thoughts of killing Zoro left his mind when he peered over the boulder and looked down a steep fall of mines, machines roaring, the noise almost deafening. They all had Kaido’s emblem on them. The samurai pointed in another direction and Sanji looked to see a line of men carrying huge loads of ore to the top of the mine, the stairs constructed shoddily and the men too malnourished to carry the load.

 

There were men in uniform too, all with the same sign, and the people working wore thin cotton clothes, hiding only their privates. Both men and women worked, all of different ages. Sanji watched a few of them struggling up the topmost stair. A man in uniform approached one of them. From what Sanji could make out, and from the way the man stood, he looked old, in his late seventies.

 

He watched as the two walked him away from the others, still talking. The uniformed man offered something and the elder seemed to accept and then lifted it to his mouth. Water, it was water. He felt the swordsman stiffen next to him and a second later, he knew why. The elder suddenly dropped to his knees, convulsing. No one approached him, and once he stopped moving, the uniformed man hollered to a few workers. They came and carried the man’s body away.

 

Sanji sat frozen in his hidden place, unable to understand the logic behind what he had seen. The scene before him went against every praise for Kaido taught to him since his childhood.

 

“Kaido is the God. He cares and nurtures; he gives people work; he gives them food and water. He gives them a reason to live.”

 

Lies.

 

He felt bile gather on his tongue, feeling ready to throw up then and there. But he controlled himself. He felt Zoro shift and then felt the touch of a hand on his shoulder. Without looking back, he got up, shrugging the hand off his shoulder, and started to walk away.

 

He heard Zoro approach him hurriedly and hold his arm tightly, pulling him back. But he was not tied anymore and so he stuck him with a kick and started walking again, breathing heavily. He had taken two more steps, the second one barely leaving the earth before alarms blared in the air.

 

He felt his knees buckle suddenly, looking down to see Zoro’s arm around his waist, throwing both of them to the ground. Not a second later, the air around him filled with the noise of gunshots, multiple of them, sounding automated.

 

“Run!” Zoro shouted at him, crawling over to a line of dead trees. “Run, Blondie, c’mon!” he called back to the stunned blond.

 

When a shot rang close to his head, Sanji came to his senses and crawled to the same treeline, all the while the horrid thought of dying due to a bullet up his ass playing in his mind.

 

As he reached the treeline, he expected Zoro to have fled the scene but he was there, pulling him to his feet and then taking hold of his wrist and tugging him along.

 

Sanji was too startled, but he forced himself to set his emotions aside. Taking control over his body, he ran, and soon, both him and Zoro were running farther from the site. He could hear voices behind him, confused soldiers expecting to find a body.

 

They reached the area where Zoro had left the bike and the two boarded it quickly, Sanji sitting on it properly for once. He held onto the back of Zoro’s jacket as the man kickstarted the bike and then zoomed out of the area.

 

His breathing trembled as he held on, Zoro riding and avoiding huge rocks. He was raised with one belief. One. That the samurai was evil. Bad. Selfish. That he worked against all the good that Kaido bestowed on their land.

 

But right now, he was conflicted. He was not sure of what he could believe in.

 

The smoke started to thin as they rode further from the area. Sanji could sense that no one followed them.

 

It was a possibility that the mine worked without proper supervision. Maybe someone who worked for Kaido was taking advantage of the trust his lord placed in them. Maybe…maybe corruption was the cause behind what he just saw, and not Kaido.

 

His eyes fell on the hold he had on the warrior’s jacket. Zoro didn’t run away. He didn’t leave Sanji to die. Sanji had made a mistake. He’d let his emotions take control and led himself into a fatal situation. He should have died. But he didn’t. All thanks to the swordsman. All thanks to Zoro.

 

He felt his heart squeeze tightly, pulling on his insides. He wasn’t left to his own demise. He wasn’t abandoned. His eyes prickled and he blinked rapidly, taking control over himself, pushing the feeling away. He cleared his throat, loudly, noticing the cleaner air that filled his lungs as he breathed.

 

The sun was hanging high in the sky, warming their cool bodies. Sanji looked up at it and loosened his grip on Zoro’s jacket, but not letting go. He blinked his eyes to the sun and held his head up, taking a deep breath.

 

“Sanji. My name is Sanji.”

 

 

* * *

 

Zoro glanced at the rearview mirror when the blond spoke, taking in the breathtaking sight of the man. His hair was practically out of his bun now and flowing around him with the wind, his eyes bright and blue, and a hint of a smile on his lips.

 

Zoro stared, transfixed with the sight. Distracted from the road, he didn’t notice the small rock he was heading into and his bike ran over it, jutting him out of his thoughts and back on the road.

 

Taking control of his bike again and noticing the tight grip the blond had on his jacket, Zoro looked straight and headed back to the nearest city, hoping that the blond finally understood.

 

Reaching the nearest town, Zoro was surprised when Sanji asked him to stop by a compartmental store. After parking his bike, Zoro and Sanji headed inside, attracting multiple stares from the people, Sanji receiving them a lot more than Zoro - not surprising since the blond’s face was covered in his own dried blood and his hair were a mess. Not to forget the body clinging clothes he wore.

 

The town they were in was basically a resting haunt for the nearest mine guards. The stores here were well-stocked and sometimes, passersby used the hotels in the surrounding area as rest stops.

 

Zoro had robbed a bank not long ago, stealing a fortune and distributing it to the poor, whom it actually belonged to. He had received a large amount of it as thanks and walked around with the huge stack in his bag, taking out a few at a time to keep in his wallet.

 

When they entered the store, Zoro watched Sanji walk over to the cold drinks section and grab a water bottle from the counter. Throwing his head back, he drank the full bottle without pause. Raising his eyebrows, Zoro walked around himself, hands buried deep in his leather jacket pockets. He picked up a small basket and started throwing in a few things he would need for his stay here.

 

Passing a rack of shaving foam and shavers, he thought for a minute, feeling his beard. Should he?

 

His eyes fell on the trimmer set on the next rack and walked over to it. Well, it would be much cleaner than shaving.

 

About fifteen minutes later, he approached the counter and found Sanji already there, passing an empty water bottle under the scanner. He seemed to have bought a few things himself. Zoro went to stand behind him and he caught the blond looking at him once before continuing the scanning. Once done, he extracted a wad of bills from somewhere in his body suit and started to feed them one by one to the machine.

 

All done and set, he walked a little ahead and then stood there, not turning around to look at Zoro but waiting all the same. Zoro eyed him for a moment before starting to scan his own items. Paying the machine, he too stepped away and started to make his way out of the store.

 

Without saying a word, Sanji followed. They got on the bike silently and Zoro drove them to the Hotel Alabasta. He asked Sanji to wait while he went and asked for a room. When the blond didn’t reply again, Zoro felt a little let down.

 

The man behind the counter greeted him with a fake smile and handed over the room keys after accepting the cash for a night’s stay and verifying Zoro’s ID. It was a fake, of course. Zoro went back out and motioned Sanji to come with him. The blond did.

 

The elevator ride was an awkward one, but neither said a word. Reaching their floor, Zoro led them to their room and slid in the card key to unlock the door. Sanji followed after him and headed straight to the bathroom.

 

Zoro looked around in the empty room, taking in the luxurious queen-sized bed and fluffy sheets. The windows behind it were tall and allowed the midday sun to lighten the room. Opposite the bed was a huge LCD flat-screen and under it was a wooden drawer. He walked over to it and placed his bags on it.

 

He looked back at the bathroom door and then at the balcony door. He walked over to it and rotated the fancy knob to step out. A simple tea table and chair set were placed atop a simple carpet.

 

Zoro went and sat on one of the chairs, looking out at the beautiful lake view.

 

He was a little…confused.

 

He had taken Sanji over to the mines to show him what it was that Kaido did. Who the real evil was. And in that journey, he had reminded himself of the reason behind his existence. He had been living in this time for fifty years now. Fifty long years of hardships and struggle, bearing no fruit. He didn’t realise when he started to forget and when he started to lose hope.

 

Memories of the fight slowly started to surface, but before they could completely form, he heard the bathroom door inside open and shut. Looking back at the door, he took a minute to gather his bearings and then went inside.

 

Sanji was sitting on the bed with his back to him, changed into a simple pink tee and black jeans, ruffling through the poly bag he brought his stuff in. Zoro picked the one he had brought and headed to the washroom, ready to have a proper bath.

 

Sanji took out the fruit juice cartons and vanilla ice cream box. Fishing out a wooden spoon, he flung his legs over the bed and relaxed back into the cushions, enjoying the first meal he’d had in the last twenty-four hours.

 

Once he had eaten enough, he just started to suck on small scoops as he thought of what he had been through.

 

One, he had not been killed. He had been sure that the samurai would kill him but, surprise surprise, he hadn’t.

 

Two, Kaido’s mine. The scene of the old man succumbing to the poison flashed before his eyes repeatedly.

 

Three, Zoro didn’t leave him behind. He was not abandoned.

 

Sanji licked his lips, trying to understand what it all meant. Judge had told him that Kaido was the God. He saw all and heard all. If that was the case, then he could definitely see the men in the mine and the treatment they went through. And he was letting it happen.

 

It was enough of an eye opener for him.

 

But he still didn’t know what to think of Zoro. The man was all that he heard about when it came to physical strength. Lithe, sharp, fast, practiced, unbeatable.

 

He needed to learn more, know more.

 

He heard the bathroom door open and looked up, eyes widening in surprise as he took in the man standing in the room.

 

Zoro wasn’t expecting Sanji to look at him, but he was surprised when he did. His hand automatically went to his now clean, trimmed jawline. It felt rather weird and light and he already missed the scratch of the hair there. Sanji didn’t stop looking at him though. It took a few seconds for Zoro to realise that he was actually staring.

 

Without realizing it, Zoro was grinning. But he knew by the tightness he felt around his lips that it probably came off as something between a grimace and grin.

 

Sanji looked at the awkward smile Zoro gave him and before he knew it, he was smiling back, the man’s awkwardness making him look cute. The thought tapped on his system and he felt his face and ears warm up.

 

Both of them realized what they were doing a second later and looked away, Zoro scratching his head while Sanji rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Uh...” Zoro started, still looking outside and trying to get used to his topknot. “I’m gonna…” He pointed out to the balcony before thinking better of it and looked at Sanji.

 

The blond was looking at him, a little smile still on his lips.

 

“Right. I’m just gonna…” Zoro muttered before turning and walking out onto the balcony.

 

Sanji grinned to himself as he watched the man leave. It was when his eyes fell on the tight back muscles that he realized the man was currently shirtless.

 

He looked back around the empty room for a few seconds before springing his feet off the bed and walking out to the balcony, following Zoro.

 

The man seemed to be meditating, the furniture moved to the corner. Sanji went and sat next to him. Not too close, but there. It was silent for a few minutes, and Sanji knew by the heaviness in the man’s breathing that he was not reaching the state of calm one needed to meditate.

 

“Where is your sword?” Sanji asked.

 

Zoro opened his eyes to look at the blond, who looked back at him, his knees held up, crossed at the ankle, arms looped around the knees and face resting on them.

 

It took him a while to remember that Sanji had asked a question.

 

“What?”

 

Sanji’s head cocked up and he asked, “Where is your sword? You’re a shitty samurai without one.”

 

Zoro blinked and smiled a little at the boy. “Yeah,” he agreed, nodding his head. “Pretty shitty.”

 

The melancholic tone behind the smile and words did not get past Sanji.

 

“Can you tell me more?” he asked, deciding to ignore the topic.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Why are you hated by Kaido? Why’s he out to get you if you’re only doing good?”

 

“Because he is doing bad,” Zoro said simply.

 

Sanji still looked at him, confused.

 

Zoro sighed, looking out at the bright sun and the lake shimmering with reflected light.

 

“Have you ever entered the realm of souls?” Zoro asked.

 

Sanji shook his head, looking like a little kid, eyes wide and eager.

 

“Would you like to try?”

 

Sanji blinked. “What’s it do?”

 

“You’ll just be on a journey with me. You’ll see the past of my life. But, I will be able to see yours too.”

 

Sanji thought about it, intrigued. “You can do that?”

 

Zoro nodded. “You just need the souls to connect. If that doesn’t happen, then it’s fruitless. But we can try. It’ll be easier to show than to tell.”

 

“Okay,” Sanji said, excited. “Let’s do it.”

 

Zoro looked at him hesitantly, a little surprised. “You’re sure? I’ll be able to look into your past too.”

 

“Yes, that’s alright,” Sanji said, smiling.

 

“Okay,” Zoro said, a little taken aback by the sudden forwardness.

 

A few minutes later, Zoro and Sanji sat face-to-face, both cross-legged. Their knees met, and on top of the junction, their hands lay, forming a cocoon. Brown against white. On one side, Zoro’s hand below Sanji’s, and on the other side, Sanji’s hand below Zoro’s, completing the aura circle.

 

They both hummed in unison, Sanji matching Zoro’s timbre. It was a soft hymn, a tune repeated over and over. The vibration flowed through Sanji, charging his very being and awakening his every cell. The world slowly began to disappear as their minds connected, vibrating on the same level. Sanji felt the energy flowing between their palms, one receiving, the other giving.

 

Sanji felt himself let go of all desires, of all prejudices. But before he could enjoy the feeling, he was suddenly assaulted by a series of images.

 

He saw a young boy watching from a boat as his sister fought off the evil named Kaido. He watched the promise in the young boy’s eyes for revenge. He saw the boy being told about a sword that sucks the soul of the evil opponent it was plunged into. The katana was said to have been forged by the Gods to stop all evil.

 

He watched the little boy train, the loss of his sister echo in his soul. He watched the boy grow up, learning different lessons, traveling the world, meeting great minds. He watched the boy finally become ready, after years of hard work, to face the man who slowly brought misery to the world.

 

He saw the man ordained with the katana, Sandai Kitetsu. He watched as the man journeyed back to his home. He watched the man enter the cave that hosted Kaido. He watched the fight that ensued. He watched as Kaido, fearing the swordsman, opened a wormhole in time and space, deciding to deal with him in the future, when he would be stronger. He watched as Zoro disappeared through the hole and fell into the current century.

 

He watched his fights; he watched the allies he made. At each step, he watched the man break as each possibility of returning to his timeline shattered one by one. Watched as Zoro accidentally took the life of an innocent. Watched as the sword fell from his hand upon realization of what he had done. Watched the pain and agony the man faced every time a rebellion led to more lives lost. Watched the man beat himself for the deaths that were never his fault to begin with.

 

Watched the man slowly lose his mind and grow suicidal, throwing himself into unfair fights. Watched the man give up on hope. Watched as the man walked up to the cliff, ready to take his own life. Watched as he refused to take Sanji’s life and then, proceeded to mend it with the truth.

 

Zoro felt the same, felt his soul unite with Sanji’s and the peace that came with it. He hadn't felt that peace in a long while.

 

The images then started to flash. A mother giving birth to a child and dying in the process. The child raised with many others born to the same father, Kaido. The child put through tests of courage and humanity from an age too young. The child being beaten for looking at the sunset. The child being beaten for feeding a rat. The child being beaten for refusing to hurt others. The child scared and forced to leave behind his innocence. The child training and fighting.

 

The child grew slowly to be a handsome young man, still craving freedom, but brainwashed to do as told. The man learning to kill since the day he was born. The man left devoid of love. The man laughed at for having a heart. The man laughed at for being human. The man yearning to know. The man forced to believe.

 

The man leaving the cage, the man refusing to fight when the opponent had no weapon. The man losing his fight for the first time. The lies the man grew up with shattering like glass, leaving him alone and with nowhere to stand. The man’s life given importance for the first time, and with it, a foothold again.

 

Zoro opened his eyes, the world slowly coming back to him. Sanji opened his at the same time.

 

They looked at each other, the sun setting low on the horizon, casting a warm pink color on them. The wind blew softly, playing with Sanji’s hair. Zoro didn’t think he was ever going to forget how he looked in that moment.

 

Sanji spoke first. “You didn’t hurt them.”

 

Zoro blinked, his heart clenching with the words of the other man. Sanji broke the hand cocoons to grip onto Zoro’s hand, hard. He looked him in the eye and spoke with fiery determination. “You didn’t kill them, Zoro. All those men. All those women. Everyone who fought. You didn’t kill them.” He gripped him harder. “You gave them hope,” he said.

 

Tears brimmed in Zoro’s eyes as he heard those words spoken to him. He hung on to each one, allowing them to take some of his pain.

 

Sanji let go of one hand and cradled Zoro’s face with it. His thumb rubbed on the tan skin, wiping the single tear his eye shed. He leaned in, arms coming up around Zoro and feeling the swordsman’s come around him.

 

Their lips met and for a while, they froze in time.

 

Then Sanji moved first, kissing Zoro properly, slowly, pulling him closer, wanting to be one with the man, wanting to reassure Zoro, wanting to let him know how pious he was.

 

Zoro moved with Sanji, following his movements, letting himself be led, leaning closer when Sanji pulled, wanting to let the man know how important he was, how utterly beautiful and wanted he was.

 

They stayed there for a while, molded together, each man allowing the emptiness in his life to be filled by the presence of the other.

 

 

* * *

Caesar had visited Kaido many times. He worked as his spy, fetching information and relaying it to the mighty Lord.

 

He entered the cave the man lived in. It was huge, to say the least. The magician lived with an old sense of suspense. The mouth of the cave led to a long aisle which ended in a pointed curve over the crater of a dormant volcano. It was said people who displeased Kaido were thrown alive to the bottom.

 

Caesar walked over, his long legs taking him till the very edge of the aisle.

 

“My lord,” he called, his voice smooth and echoing. “Lord Kaido, my master.”

 

The cave suddenly seemed to awaken, the insides brightening with light, washing everything in red.

 

A voice spoke, reverberating from the depths of the cave. “Who is it?”

 

“Caesar, m’lord. I have news.”

 

A shadow rose on the wall of the cave, large and expansive, casting the whole cave in darkness. “I'm listening,” the voice hummed, deep, vibrating through the cave.

 

“It seems, my Lord, that Roronoa Zoro has lost the Katana.”

 

There was silence for a moment. Then there was movement and mad laughter echoed. 

“Finally!” the voice exclaimed, between laughs. “It is time to pay this samurai a visit!”

* * *

**_One week later..._ **

* * *

Sanji peered into the large cavity, unable to see where it ended.

 

“Are you sure it was this one?” Sanji asked, looking up at Zoro.

 

Zoro nodded, his hair tied in a topknot again. “I’m positive.”

 

Sanji hummed. “Okay,” he said, standing up and walking over to the equipment they had carried around for hours. “I think we’ll have enough rope.”

 

The were standing in the middle of a dead forest. Dried land and shriveled trees surrounded them. They had to use torches, the morning and afternoon spent searching for the crater where Zoro’s sword had fallen.

 

* * *

 

Sanji got to work setting up the rope equipment and Zoro helped him. They worked together in silence.

 

After a few minutes, they both began lowering themselves into the darkness, torches in their mouths. It was surprisingly not too deep. Upon landing, they flashed the lights around, the earth under them as dry as the one above, but more gravely and uneven. There was not a lot of space, a few fissures here and there, but none big enough for a katana to fall through.

 

They searched for an hour. They went over each spot thrice. In the end, they found nothing. When they climbed back up, Sanji suggested that they search for another such crater but Zoro refused.

 

“It’s this one. I remember it clearly,” he said.

 

Sanji trusted him so he didn't argue. He sat down on the ground, giving his body some rest. Zoro stood a short distance from him, staring at the moon, hanging in the sky. He looked disheartened.

 

“We’ll find it,” Sanji said, eyes locking with Zoro when the man turned to look at him. “We'll find it, Zoro.”

 

The samurai looked at Sanji, taking in his calm posture in the moonlight-bathed rubble. Zoro didn't know how but Sanji ended up looking angelic no matter where he was and what he wore.

 

He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to receive the blond’s love.

 

Walking over to him, Zoro proceeded to lie down in front of him, placing his head on the man’s lap. He looked up at Sanji’s smiling face, raised his arm to pass a few stray strands away, leaving his features in clear view.

 

Sanji’s hand came up to encase his. He intertwined their fingers, then kissed Zoro’s knuckles. Zoro pulled them down to kiss Sanji’s in return.

 

He didn't realise when he started to drift off. Just a press of lips on his forehead and a voice telling him to sleep a bit. Moaning in agreement, he let go of the last thread of consciousness he held on to.

 

Zoro dreamed of his sister, Kuina. He saw her look at him and smile. He called out to her but she turned around and started to walk away. Not wanting to let go, Zoro followed. She led him out of darkness to a path down the river. At the end, instead of merging with a sea, the river died out and Zoro stood alone in a barren land.

 

Suddenly, in front of him, a wormhole appeared and he ran to it, wanting to leave and go back to his world. It was then that Kaido appeared and broke the portal. Zoro stood there, in shock, in grief. That was the last one. The last wormhole that existed.

 

He stood there, lost, Kaido’s laugh echoing all around him.

 

He realised, standing there, that he had lost hope. Lost sight of what was important. And it was after this realisation that Kaido’s laughs stopped. Amidst the darkness, silver glowed. Zoro caught a glimpse of Sandai Kitetsu before it faded away again.

 

Zoro woke up with a gasp, his body clammy and he felt shushing around him and something pressing into his cheeks. He looked around in a haze, and his eyes met with Sanji’s worried one.

 

“My katana,” Zoro said, looking at him, panting a little. “I didn't lose it.”

 

Sanji seemed confused at what Zoro said and helped the swordsman up. Zoro got to his feet and started pacing while he talked. “When Sandai Kitetsu was bestowed to me, I was told that the sword chooses to remain in the hands of a swordsman who will use it with goodness in his heart.”

 

“That is why it chose you,” Sanji said.

 

“Yes.” Zoro nodded. “I was on a mission to kill the evil. But with time, I lost track of what was important. I… I let myself be distracted. I started obsessing over going back. I stopped working towards the actual goal of defeating Kaido!

 

So that night when the wormhole was destroyed and my emotions took over me...I didn't let go of my katana…” he whispered and stopped to look at Sanji, who seemed to have come to the same realisation.

 

“The katana disowned me as its user. That is why I can't find it. It doesn't want to be found. Not by someone who lost sight and the will to fight.”

 

They stood in silence for a while before Sanji spoke again. “So, what can you do to make yourself worthy again?”

 

“I..." Zoro said, looking around at the spindly trees. “I have to let go,” he said. “Of all the regrets that stop me and hold me back.”

 

The words seemed to echo in the depths of his mind, enlightening him even further.

 

“Excellent!” Sanji said, snapping Zoro out of the moment. “How do we do that exactly!?” he asked with genuine interest.

 

Zoro grinned, looking at him. “By facing my fears.”

 

* * *

 

Sanji kept a lookout as Zoro meditated. The man was sweating profusely and his face was scrunched in displeasure. He remembered Zoro telling him that he hadn't been able to meditate in a while, his calm always interrupted by guilt. He had to face those feelings now and be worthy of the sword again.

 

Sanji was completely supportive, but he wished they hadn’t done this out in the open and right around the time Kaido’s powers were said to be at peak. So he kept a lookout.

 

The silence was eerie and Sanji tried to tune his breathing with Zoro’s to feel a little more at peace, but the hairs at the back of his neck were starting to rise. He got the feeling that they were being watched.

 

A minute passed in tense silence. Sanji stood near Zoro, not willing to leave his side at any costs. He was probably just being paranoid, his assassin instincts working up, but he was not letting any living thing near the swordsman.

 

In his peripheral vision, he saw movement. He snapped his head around to look through the trees, flashing his torch in that area, his heartbeat rising. He saw nothing out of place.

 

Goosebumps erupted all over his body as a laugh suddenly sounded, coming from all around him, from every shadow in the vicinity. Sanji looked around, shining the torch every direction, but found nothing while the laughter still continued.

 

“Looking for me?” a voice whispered in his ear, and Sanji automatically lashed out with a kick towards whoever was behind him. But his leg passed through air.

 

The laugh only got louder, and the shadows all around him suddenly seemed to come alive. Sanji watched as each shadow left its place and came to converge with his own, the black mass growing bigger and bigger. Eventually, a form started to appear through it, the shadow lifting off the ground with it as if enveloping the man coming out.

 

The horns appeared first, then the head and face, followed by the body.

 

Sanji froze in his spot as he watched the mountain of a man rise, tall, wide, his very size reason enough to cause shivers to run up the spine. The deadly aura he exuded and the filthy humourless laugh he let out caused Sanji to talk half a step back, positioning himself in a stance to fight.

 

The form seemed to notice Sanji’s resolve and he laughed again. “Do you think you could beat me, tiny human? I am your God. You can do nothing but bow down to me. So...”

 

Suddenly, Sanji felt the aura crush on him, making him want to bend down. But he refrained.

 

He hadn't expected Kaido himself to appear, but it seemed like luck was not on their side that day. He glanced at Zoro to see the man’s face no longer conflicted, but rather at peace.

 

His heart skipped a beat. Not too long then.

 

“Bow,” said the God.

 

Sanji looked the ruthless man in the eye, refusing to give in.

 

“Bow,” the man said again, this time with more force, and Sanji felt the pressure of the words ring out. But still, he refused to comply.

 

“How...” the man mused. He didn't seem angry, just intrigued. “No one refuses Kaido's orders... But, no matter,” he said, flicking away his curiosity quickly. “Just a tiny obstacle.”

 

Sanji felt dread boil within him as he saw the huge man leaning over him and pulling back his fist, ready to put an end to Sanji’s life.

 

He wouldn't move. If he dodged, the punch would hit Zoro. So he would fight.

 

The man moved, surprisingly fast for his height and weight. Sanji moved at the same time and his kick connected with the man’s fist. He felt his entire body groan in agony as he kicked his opponent’s arm off to the side, much to the God’s surprise.

 

“How...” This time the word held wonder. “Is it possible…? Are you---?”

 

A movement distracted them both. Sanji turned around to see Zoro standing behind him, tall and strong, the image of a warrior. He held a katana in his hand as he looked up at Kaido, finally eyeing his opponent after a fifty-year wait.

 

The sword in Zoro’s hand trembled. For a katana created by the Gods, its bloodthirst was ironically demonic. It sensed the evil it was destined to destroy and hummed in pleasure. Zoro felt it vibrate, his thoughts in sync.

 

Kaido looked back at him, and Zoro saw fear in his eyes when he saw the katana. He had the same look in his eyes the day he had banished Zoro to the future. Knowing that he had little time, Zoro placed his hand on the hilt of his katana, feeling the grooves and ridges on it, filled with a sense of completion.

 

He took his time sliding the blade out from its saya, the chime of metal sliding over metal loud in the night. Holding it out to his side, pointed down, he stalked forwards, noting Sanji giving him way, and then followed a step behind.

 

He allowed his mind and soul to concentrate on Kaido, on the enemy’s frozen form. Memories of his sister’s death, the many others who’d rebelled, Sanji’s past, his parents working as slaves... All the memories fueled his primal urge for revenge and directed him to the cause standing right in front of him.

 

He raised his arm, the energy and purpose pulsating from him to the blade, making it shine a bright red.

 

He paused for a second, allowing the emotions to surge, and then ran at Kaido with his blade poised to kill. He ran like a lion hunting its prey and roared, passing the blade through the man’s shape.

 

A scream erupted throughout the forest and Kaido cried out in pain, his form starting to disappear, the shadows scattering back into place. But Zoro was not going to let him escape. He attacked again and again, his cries filling the air.

 

Then the atmosphere shifted. And suddenly, his attack was blocked by a strong leg, kicking him off balance. Zoro startled and stared in shock as Sanji stood before him, blocking his attack.

 

“Sanji?” he breathed out.

 

Sanji’s eyes were wide, confused. He looked scared and stunned. “It’s not me,” he whispered. “I’m not doing this.”

 

“No, but you were trained to!” said Kaido from behind him, rising again. “You were born to serve me, boy. Or have you forgotten?” he whispered in his ear, making sure that Zoro could hear him.

 

Zoro stood there, unable to move.

 

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice my own blood, Roronoa Zoro?” he said, a dirty smirk adorning his face. “You thought you’d use him against me?”

 

“No,” Zoro whispered as Sanji looked at him, terrified.

 

“Well,” said the demon. “You failed in that plan, did you not? I can control him.” As he said it, he placed his hand on Sanji’s shoulder and the blond’s face morphed to indifference. “He was born by magic and he was born to me. He cannot disobey me. He’s but a puppet.”

 

The demon sneered. “And to get to me, you must get to him first.”

 

His arm left Sanji and the blond striked, attacked Zoro with ferocity he hadn’t shown before. Zoro blocked the attack, but the strength pushed him back. Kaido laughed again, enjoying the show as he settled to watch.

 

“No,” Zoro whispered, looking at Sanji as he attacked him again. “This isn’t you, Sanji.”

 

The blond didn’t reply, simply attacked Zoro with all his might, knowing his weak spots and using the knowledge to his advantage. Nothing he said stirred the blond. And after a particular attack hit him hard, Zoro instinctively swung his sword.

 

Sanji dodged it, but the tip of the blade got him, nicking his cheek. He didn’t react in pain, but Zoro saw the blood trickle down his cheek. He stopped.

 

He was not going to harm Sanji.

 

His job was to protect the innocent.

 

He was not going to harm the man he loved.

 

Sheathing his sword, he fell to his knees, placing his weapon on the ground. “I surrender,” he said, lowering his head in defeat.

 

Sanji stopped in his tracks, staring down at the man bowing, head resting near his knees on the floor.

 

Inside him, he was in turmoil, unable to understand what he was doing and why. He wasn’t able to hold back. It was like someone else had taken over his body and was making him attack Zoro.

 

When Zoro’s sword cut him, it stung. More than usual knives and swords did. It was probably because this katana was magical. But the searing pain didn’t stop him from charging at Zoro.

 

He now felt himself walk over to the man’s kneeling form and pick up the sheathed sword from the ground. He turned back to his master and carried it to him.

 

“Sanji...” He heard Zoro’s call from behind. He wanted to stop and turn, run to him and fight next to him. But he kept walking, like a robot given an order.

 

“I love you.”

 

The words pierced through his entire being and he stopped in his tracks. All at once, he felt the compulsion fall off him, like the strings of a puppet being cut. He heard Kaido speak but the words fell on deaf ears.

 

Instead, he turned. He turned to look at Zoro watching him from the ground, his eyes full of hurt yet with a hint of hope. When their eyes met, Sanji’s heart sped up as he walked back to him, ignoring the roars of the man behind him.

 

He never knew what love was. He was never taught it. He’d never received it, and he was admonished when he tried giving it.

 

When he heard Zoro say those words, he understood the confusion and conflict he had felt throughout the week. He understood what it was like to be wanted and to be appreciated. To be respected. He understood that he mattered. He understood that he reciprocated the feelings for Zoro. He understood that he too loved the man.

 

How could he turn his back on someone he cherished and loved so dearly, to someone who gave meaning to his very existence.

 

He felt the attack approaching on his back and before he knew it, he was turning around and fighting Kaido’s punches. They took any and every shape, manipulating the shadows to his will. Sanji surprised himself when he was able to do the same, match each attack with equal strength and vigor.

 

After a particular attack when Kaido backed down for a moment, Sanji realized what this meant. He had Kaido’s powers. Using the moment, he turned and held onto Zoro, the man looking at him with awe and wonder.

 

“I have his powers,” Sanji said, his eyes gleaming, a grin coming over his face.

 

A look of confusion flashed across Zoro’s face before the light bulb lit and he understood. Taking Zoro’s hand, Sanji mimicked Kaido’s actions, the one’s he had seen in Zoro’s past, and a second later, a wormhole erupted in the midst of the forest.

 

Kaido’s scream of horror and rage went unheard by both of them as Sanji led them through the entrance.

 

They felt weightless. Sanji held onto Zoro’s hand as they floated across time, looking into the man’s eyes, watching the brown ones look into his with softness.

 

“You’ll need this,” Sanji said, handing Zoro the katana as they neared the end of their journey.

 

Zoro took hold of his weapon, eyes not leaving Sanji’s as light started enveloping them.

 

* * *

 

The whole island was bursting with happiness.

 

The story of Samurai Zoro traveling to the future and back was discussed in every corner. They talked about the end of Kaido’s rule and about the stranger that accompanied their warrior back in time.

 

Peace had once again befallen the land. No more would the people suffer, and most certainly not in the future. The samurai had protected them all with his bravery and sacrifice, and all was calm.

 

Two days passed quietly, Zoro and Sanji reveling in the newfound connection between them, the mutual respect and love they felt coursing through their bodies, a brush of fingers, a gentle touch sending warmth flowing between them.

 

It was Sanji’s blue eyes that served as Zoro’s new home. In the past the castle was familiar, but now, after fifty years in a time that wasn’t his own, it felt a little foreign.

 

It was by Sanji’s side he would stay. The feeling of the blond’s shoulder lightly pressing against his own as they meditated, was not one he was likely to take for granted.

 

Sanji listened to Zoro’s breaths, unable to take his eyes off the stunning hills and mountains that stretched out before them, untouched by Kaido’s reign. Kaido would never touch them. He would never touch Zoro, whose strength reverberated in the breeze, even as they sat unmoving, legs crossed on the grass together.

 

The blond had grown used to this in the short time they’d been together. He found himself turning, looking at the man beside him, his eyes closed, slow breaths leaving him.

 

“Zoro,” he breathed, the name falling from his lips before he’d fully realized it.

 

The samurai opened his eyes slowly and looked over at Sanji with a tilt of his lips.

“What?” he asked, but Sanji shook his head, chuckling. He hadn’t even meant to say anything, had he?

 

Zoro smirked, watching Sanji’s eyes, then reached out to take his hand, giving his fingers a squeeze and lifting them to his lips, kissing the blond’s ring finger delicately.

 

Sanji sucked in a breath, heart fluttering for a moment.

 

Then he released it, every doubt, every insecurity he could have had leaving his body along with the air he’d held within.

 

He stared at Zoro’s face, his strong jaw, those eyes that watched him with such care and devotion.

 

He wanted to remember this.

 

Slowly, he shifted closer to the swordsman, holding tightly to Zoro’s hand as he lowered his head to his lap, a smile still on his face.

 

Zoro was so warm, and the fingers in his hair led Sanji’s eyes to close.

 

He felt Zoro lean in close above him, his lips above his ear, an inhale taking in the scent of his hair.

 

“Zoro…” he said again, and the swordsman hummed, a content sound.

 

“I’m sorry,” Sanji breathed.

 

Zoro’s fingers stilled in his hair.

 

Sanji squeezed his hand.

 

“With Kaido gone….I’m not meant to exist,” he whispered, feeling his mind start to cloud, Zoro’s touch fading from his skin.

 

The samurai realized, with horror, that Sanji was slipping from his grasp. Only he wasn’t slipping. He was ebbing.

 

A shuddering breath, Sanji’s weight on his leg lessening, blond strands disappearing one by one.

 

“No…” Zoro breathed, panic filling him, eyes wide and burning. “No. No, wait! Sanji, don’t---!”

 

But there was no Sanji. There was nothing in his lap but the silky fabric of Sanji’s robe, still warm.

 

Zoro stared at the cloth, white and clean, pure like the man who’d left him alone in a world that no longer felt like his own. Pain and grief filled his soul and his vision blurred, tiny drops of tears dropping on the slowly cooling robe.

 

* * *

_**~END~** _

* * *


End file.
